By Grace Alegba
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Procurement, Dr Olajide Ipinsagba, says a transparent and corruption-free procurement system is critical to safeguarding public resources and driving national growth.
Ipinsagba made the remark on Thursday at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office(FCDO) – Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE) in Lagos.
The event brought together contractors, suppliers, consultants, civil society organisations and professional bodies to deliberate on the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS).
He said procurement should begin with proper needs assessment to ensure value for money and accountability.
“The essence of procurement is to be satisfied with the quality and value of what you have procured, not just what is delivered,” he said.
The lawmaker stressed that durability and integrity of projects such as roads, bridges and equipment must be guaranteed to prevent waste of public funds.
He noted that a credible procurement framework would restore public confidence and promote the participation of small and medium enterprises, indigenous contractors, and local service providers.
Ipinsagba reiterated the commitment of the National Assembly to provide legislative backing for reforms in the sector.
He disclosed that a bill to prioritise locally manufactured goods in public procurement had reached the public hearing stage.
According to him, the proposed “Nigeria First” bill seeks to discourage the importation of goods and services that can be produced locally, and he urged local manufacturers to participate in the public hearing to showcase their capacity.
On compliance, Ipinsagba said regulatory agencies and MDAs are responsible for enforcement, while the Senate would continue to strengthen the legal framework.
He also called for collaboration with the Equipment Leasing Registration Authority (ELRA) to support contractors in equipment leasing and contract financing.
Ipinsagba noted that access to collateral remained a major challenge for contractors executing projects.
Also speaking, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said Lagos State was strengthening sustainable and digital procurement to enhance transparency and efficiency.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Director-General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Authority (LSPPA), Mr Fatai Idowu Onafowote, said the reforms were anchored on sustainable procurement, digital automation, and increased participation of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
He said sustainable procurement focuses on environmental responsibility, lifecycle cost, social inclusion, and support for local industries.
According to him, digital technologies across the procurement chain have improved planning accuracy, reduced human discretion, and enabled real-time monitoring.
Sanwo-Olu said more than 150 MDAs had been onboarded onto the state’s e-procurement platform, eliminating manual bottlenecks and accelerating service delivery.
He added that Lagos had adopted the Open Contracting Data Standards to make procurement data accessible in real time.
Other initiatives include a Procurement Planning Clinic, designed to align budgets with actual needs, and automated vendor databases to streamline registration and ensure tax compliance.
In a presentation titled “Lease Registration, ELRA Eligibility and Access to Equipment via ELRA Marketplace”, Mr Emmanuel Metuaghan, Director, Planning, Strategy and Coordination, ELRA, said a transparent leasing system would strengthen public procurement.
Metuaghan said ELRA remained committed to working with BPP, contractors and other stakeholders to unlock leasing for economic growth.
He urged contractors to register lease transactions and obtain relevant certification, while advising MDAs to integrate lease verification into procurement due diligence.
Metuaghan also called on financial institutions to leverage ELRA data for improved risk management and encouraged stakeholders to build a transparent leasing ecosystem to support national development. (NAN)
Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa
